Why Hadzovic withdrew from the tentpole contest remains unknown.
Written by Robert Zeglinski
On Dec. 6, 2022, bodybuilder Sadik Hadzovic took to his Instagram page to reveal he will not compete in the upcoming 2022 Mr. Olympia. The contest takes place on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV, making Hadzovic’s somewhat last-minute withdrawal a surprise.
Hadzovic qualified for the Men’s Physique Olympia but did not reveal specific details about why he wouldn’t participate.
“I know many of you were excited to see me back at this year’s Olympia,” Hadzovic wrote. “Unfortunately, I will not be competing.”
Hadzovic’s competitive bodybuilding resume spans over a decade long. According to NPC News Online, he finished second place in the Men’s Physique division at the 2012 Greater Gulf States Pro — a notable result given it was Hadzovic’s International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League debut.
From there on, Hadzovic wasted no time making a name for himself. Continuing as a Men’s Physique competitor, he won his first IFBB Pro League contest at the 2012 Valenti Gold Cup. Roughly a year later, he notched a win at the 2013 New York Pro, earning qualification for his first-ever Olympia. He finished fourth in the Men’s Physique division in his Olympia debut.
The year 2014 saw Hadzovic qualify for the Olympia via his win at the 2014 Tampa Pro. He improved upon his Olympia debut with a second-place result — a mark he captured again at the 2015 Olympia.
In 2016, Hadzovic formally transitioned to the new Classic Physique division and saw immediate results: third place at the 2016 Olympia, behind Arash Rahbar (second), and the inaugural Classic Physique Olympia champion Danny Hester.
After finishing in seventh place at the Classic Physique Olympia in 2017, Hadzovic slowed his competitive pursuits. He took a two-year hiatus before returning with a sixth place at the 2019 Arnold Sports Festival.
Hadzovic moved back to the Men’s Physique division in 2022, winning the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro to earn entry to the 2022 Olympia. Hadzovic was set to challenge three-time Men’s Physique Olympia champion (2018, 2020-2021) Brandon Hendrickson.
As his Instagram page suggests, with seemingly countless training videos and nutrition tidbits, Hadzovic tried to maximize his 2022 Olympia opportunity. Alas, assuming Hadzovic will give it another go in 2023, he is putting his Olympia dreams on a temporary hold.
Featured image: @sadikhadzovic on Instagram
About Robert Zeglinski
Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He’s been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).